


85. House-hunting in Carmel

by alley_oops, jennandanica



Series: Citadel: Luke Evans and Alex Skarsgard [85]
Category: Actor RPF, Citadel (Journalfen RPG), True Blood RPF
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2008-11-02
Updated: 2008-11-02
Packaged: 2018-01-01 14:36:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1045098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alley_oops/pseuds/alley_oops, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jennandanica/pseuds/jennandanica





	85. House-hunting in Carmel

__**Luke Evans and Alex[](http://www.journalfen.net/users/skarsgard/profile)[ **skarsgard**](http://www.journalfen.net/users/skarsgard/) : first visit to Carmel**  
 **players only. backdated to first weekend in September. takes place after Alex's birthday weekend (during which they looked at houses online) and this**[exchange of naughty texts (NSFW)](http://www.journalfen.net/users/skarsgard/22132.html). 

They don't even bother checking into a hotel. The agency has a silver Continental and a uniformed driver waiting for Alex and Luke when they exit the Monterey Municipal Airport, all one terminal of it, and he drives them straight to the Butterfly House, where a Sotheby's agent is waiting for them. Alex's breath catches softly as they climb the long drive out to the cliff where the house is perched, and he squeezes Luke's hand in excitement.

"It looks amazing," Luke says, squeezing back. "Just like in the pictures." And God help him, he's pretty sure he wants it already. That this is where they're meant to be. But he knows better than to get his hopes up or be sold on something so fast so he's trying hard to keep that excitement contained.

"Yeah." Alex lifts their joined hands to his mouth and brushes his lips over Luke's knuckles. He said that he wasn't going to stay in the closet once they met each other's families, and damn it, he meant every word. He doesn't fucking care who sees. The car pulls to a stop on the crushed gravel drive and he gets out, swinging open his door before the driver can get to it. "Hi," he says to the man approaching from the house. "I'm Alex. Are you Thomas?"

"Yes, sir," the man says. He's slight of build and his brown hair is thinning on top, but he's wearing a gray power suit and shoes Alex can recognize as both Italian and expensive. "We spoke on the phone. It's very nice to meet you in person."

"Yeah, likewise." Alex shakes Thomas's hand, then draws Luke forward, wanting his lover at his side. "This is my partner, Luke."

"Hi," Luke says, shaking Thomas's hand and leaning in close to Alex. "It's a beautiful day for this," he adds, gesturing at the gorgeous blue sky.

"It's great that you're here when the weather is good. Of course, the skies are stunning during a storm," Thomas says, taking the opportunity to lead them not inside the house, but around it, down a path that takes them further out onto the cliff. He waves his arm expansively at the moody sea. "But there's nothing like this view on a sunny day."

"It is amazing," Alex murmurs in agreement. He's got some vague idea that they're supposed to be acting calm and cool and disinterested, so as not to drive up the asking price on the spot. But damn, he doesn't know how anyone could be indifferent in a place like this.

"How much land comes with it?" Luke asks, wondering how close they are to their neighbours even though the few he can see look to be a fair distance away.

"It's on half an acre," Thomas tells him, "and that stretch of beach is private. Yours."

Alex snorts softly. He wouldn't go so far as to call the rocky shore a beach, but private is private. And private right on the ocean is simply fucking awesome. "Can you ever see whales from here?"

"Sometimes, yes. You also get some sea lions, and the occasional dolphin."

"Wow," Luke says softly, looking at Alex. "Can you imagine?"

"Not really," Alex says honestly, squinting out at the sea like a pod of dolphins - he's pretty sure they come in pods, anyway - is just going to leap out of the water for their synchronized pleasure. He blows out a breath and looks back at Thomas. "Can we see the inside?"

"Of course." The agent makes shepherding motions back up the path and to the front door, which he opens with a flourish.

The first step inside leaves Alex breathless. The wall overlooking the ocean is floor-to-ceiling windows, and the inner window wall looks out onto an enclosed courtyard with a rectangular swimming pool. He doesn't know where to rush first.

"I know it's furnished but is it occupied right now?" Luke asks, looking around, trying to act casual as he takes in the house, which looks _exactly_ like the pictures they'd seen. Maybe even better.

"No, the owners vacated several months ago. This was one of their vacation homes, and they really just enjoyed renovating and restoring it," Thomas explains. "I believe they've got their sights set on some rundown historic building outside La Jolla next."

"Hmm." Alex crosses the vast living room to a sunken seating area which curves along the width of the house, giving the illusion of hanging over open space with nothing but the sea beneath. He forces himself to turn away, and frowns. "The kitchen is small," he observes, quirking a brow at Luke. That's completely his lover's domain, after all, and he knows Luke has some pretty specific ideas for what he wants in a kitchen; the words 'massive' and 'gargantuan' leap to Alex's mind.

Luke nods. "And it doesn't have the double ovens I wanted," he says with a sigh, checking out the cupboard drawers and the hidden refrigerator.

"No kitchen island," Alex says, stuffing his hands in his pockets and turning to study the inner courtyard. The lanai doors are waiting unlocked, and he steps out to the patio edging the swimming pool. The courtyard is surrounded on all four sides by house, although the fourth side is pretty much just an enclosed walkway overlooking the sea. The entire house is so open that every spot he sees has a stunning view of the ocean.

"No, but at least it's open to the living room, and the views..." Luke trails off, stepping up beside Alex. "This is incredible," he whispers. And they haven't even seen the bedrooms yet.

"I know," Alex whispers back, surreptitiously glancing over his shoulder to check that Thomas can't overhear them. "I want it. Do you want it?" He's been called impulsive in the past, it's true.

Luke nods. "I _really_ want it," he whispers. Aside from his lover, he can't remember the last time he wanted something so badly.

"Okay." Alex turns around and looks expectantly at Thomas. "There are three bedrooms?"

"Yes. The master bedroom and ensuite are just down this way," Thomas answers, setting out down a long hallway. "A sitting area is currently set up as a media room, and as you can see the house was designed so that every single room has a stunning view..."

"They're asking 19.2," Alex whispers to Luke as they follow behind. "I wonder if we can get them down to 18."

"I guess it depends on how desperate they are to sell," Luke says, calling ahead to Thomas, "How long has the house been on the market?"

"It's been approximately seven months." Thomas turns his back to the mosaic tiled bath and faces the pair.

"Seven months?" It's all Alex can do to keep from whistling in disbelief, but he figures that would probably be over-playing things. "What's wrong with it?"

"Nothing, of course," Thomas answers immediately, as if he'd give any other reply. "But not every buyer appreciates the home's historic and architectural value. Some people get distracted by the flash and dazzle of the," he coughs softly, "McMansions." He gives them a knowing smile, clearly meant to bring them into the loop. "You understand, I'm sure."

Luke nods. "Well, it's hard not to be dazzled by huge kitchens with massive islands and double ovens," he says, already having decided he'll give all that up for the views in this house. "Especially when you love cooking as much as I do."

"He does," Alex confirms, instantly regretting saying something so pointless and stupid. Such a dead giveaway. Fuck, he loves this house. "There didn't seem to be a lot of room to push out the walls if we wanted to renovate..."

"No." Thomas looks like he's swallowing a few choice words, all of which taste bitter. "No, this house is architecturally unique and it's on the historic register. You wouldn't even get permits to push the walls out."

Alex rubs a hand over his lips, trying to hide his smirk. "Let's check out the other bedrooms."

"I like the master suite though," Luke says, deciding to throw Thomas a bone. "And the bathroom. I love the floor-to-ceiling tile in the shower." He smiles at Alex. "It's like my one in London."

"I like the view from the shower," Alex tells his lover before glancing back to the agent. "It's pretty awesome to be able to see the ocean from the bathroom."

"The views extend around the facade of the house, from the ocean to the cliff to the bay," Thomas says in encouragement, and he's off again, leading them from one bedroom to the next.

"The media room's too small," Alex mutters, and this time he actually means it. The space is little more than a hallway.

"That's true," Luke says with a sigh. "The other places have huge media rooms _and_ huge kitchens." But they don't have these views, and what's more, they don't _seem_ like they'd be home.

Alex's mouth twists in frustration. "Maybe we could..." he trails off, spreading his arms to span the wall where his flat-screen would go. "If we put the speakers..." He shakes his head and looks at Luke. "I don't know. Plus there'd always be a glare from the windows." Okay, so he's spoiled as fuck when it comes to his TV-watching.

"We could put black-out blinds on the windows for when you're watching something and we can ceiling-mount the speakers," Luke says, suddenly seeing a real obstacle to them getting this place.

"You think so?" Alex looks around the room again, trying to picture it with Luke's improvements. "I guess..." He trails off uncertainly, then focuses on Thomas. "They're asking nineteen? I mean, no kitchen island, small media room..."

Thomas makes a discreet coughing noise behind his hand. "Actually, the listing price is nineteen point two."

"Which is too much," Luke says bluntly. "Unless they're willing to have it sit for years until someone who's not swayed by huge kitchens and theatre-like media rooms comes along."

"I'm sure the sellers would be willing to work with you on the price," Thomas replies. "They need to recoup their investment, obviously, as well as the considerable renovations, but you would certainly be able to custom-install--"

"We'll give you eighteen," Alex cuts in, and he doesn't miss the insulted flash of the agent's eyes. So he adds, "Forty percent down."

There's a moment of silence. "...Forty?"

Alex nods.

Luke holds his breath, watching the real estate agent. "Maybe we should see the other ones first," he suggests, hoping to put more pressure on the man. "They cost less to start with and we'd get so much more for our money."

"That's true." Alex drags a hand through his hair and gives the space one more sweeping glance before turning away to head back into the vast living room. "Our appointment in La Jolla tomorrow is at eleven, so we can see the Vista del Mar house and then go grab some lunch at this sushi place my friend Anna is crazy about." He lets himself have a last look at the stunning views out of the curved windows, then resolutely turns his back on the sea. "There was that one in San Diego with the gigantic pool on the terrace. You said you wouldn't change a thing about that kitchen."

Luke nods. "And it had that _massive_ media room, the one that was set up like an actual theatre," he says, biting at his lower lip as he takes another look at the water.

"That was pretty cool," Alex agrees. Although he really hadn't cared for the palette of the home in La Jolla; they'd certainly need to have the whole place repainted before they could even start on furnishing and decorating. And actually the huge kitchen with all the desired amenities would have to be completely refinished, heavy on the dark ornate wood as it currently is. Not such a big deal, but... _Fuck_. That look on his lover's face might just do him in.

"If you want to put an official offer on the table, then the sellers might take the time to consider it," Thomas puts in, crossing the foyer to stand as-if casually by the wall. But Alex is pretty certain the man has placed himself in that spot deliberately so it'll be easy for him to slow - or block - their exit. "With the forty percent you mentioned."

Alex looks at him for a minute, then looks at Luke. He shrugs. "We could do that. Wouldn't hurt, right?"

Luke nods. "These views _are_ amazing," he says, then looks at Thomas. "But eighteen would be our first and final offer. We're not willing to pay more than that."

"I'll inform my clients so they can take that into consideration. If you'll just give me a few minutes, I'll go contact them now," the agent says, already pulling his cell phone from his pocket as he slips out the front door.

Alex looks at Luke, then swiftly crosses the room to take his lover's hands in his own. "What do you think?" he asks softly, searching Luke's eyes. Their first home together. This is fucking huge, and he's determined not to pressure his boy at all.

"I love it," Luke says, kissing Alex firmly on the mouth. "It's amazing. I know we're compromising on the kitchen and the media room but I love the pool and the master bedroom's fantastic and the views are just unbelievable. I don't think there's any way we could get any closer to the water."

"No, I..." Alex kisses Luke back, and then again, his fingers tangling in his lover's hair. "Are you sure?" he asks, tempted as always by the seductive welcome. He forces himself to focus, and glances around. "There really isn't any room to expand here, and I promised you your dream kitchen."

"Well, it might not be my dream kitchen but it _is_ my dream house," Luke says, wrapping his arms around Alex's waist and smiling up at him. "And the kitchen's still amazing."

That smile rocks Alex to his core, and he takes a moment just to stare. "You're my dream boy," he whispers, "and you can have anything you want. Within my power," he amends, looking over his shoulder and craning his neck to catch a glimpse of Thomas through the windows. The agent is clearly embroiled in a Serious Conversation, if the wild gesticulations of his hands are anything to go by. "I hope it's going in our favor."

"I hope so too," Luke says, laying his head on Alex's shoulder. "I can so see us living here."

Alex wraps his arms around his lover, pressing his lips to Luke's thick dark hair. Moments like this - when it seems like fantasy is merging with reality, making the impossible possible - they shake Alex down to his marrow, make him redefine his focus. He needs to hold onto Luke or drown.

"We might not find out today," Luke says. "We might have to wait for them to talk things over." Which will drive him crazy, he thinks. Having to spend the rest of the day not knowing. Maybe even the whole weekend.

"That'd be okay. We could still have fun wandering around that other house tomorrow, and quietly mocking all their filthy-expensive cheap sculptures." Alex grins and presses his lips to Luke's.

It's at that moment that Thomas enters the house again, and Alex breaks the kiss to look at the man in question. But he stays right where he is, with his arms around his lover, figuring that people have to start getting used to seeing physical affection between the two of them in public. And Alex needs to get used to it, too.

"My clients can't go any lower than eighteen point six," Thomas tells them after an uncertain beat. "They've already come down two million from their original asking price, when they first listed, last year. Considering the extensive renovations they've completed, as well as the home's historical value, you really--"

"That's a shame," Alex says, cutting into this flow of words. He's always preferred simple answers, like _yes_ or _no_. "We'll have our agent contact you with an official offer in writing. But, other than that, thank you for your time." Now he does release Luke, but only so he can shake Thomas's hand. And lead the way back out to their waiting car.

"Maybe they'll change their minds once they see we're serious," Luke says hopefully, glancing back at the house and the view of the water beyond.

"Maybe." The driver opens the car door for them, and Alex waits while Luke slips into the backseat. He settles against the fine-grained leather with a sigh. "Not to mention that... what would forty percent of eighteen be? Like, seven million-something in cash? That's a lot to turn down." He links his fingers with Luke's. "We're in no rush, love. We can wait them out if we have to."

Luke nods. "I know. I just get impatient when I really want something."

Alex grins. "I don't think it'll help us if you drop to your knees and start begging him, though." He strokes a fingertip along Luke's throat, right where his collar would be. Should be.

Luke laughs. "No, probably not," he agrees, smiling at Alex, that touch settling his nerves. "Where to now?"

"Are you hungry?" Alex asks his lover. "Because I'm starving." He doesn't wait for an answer, but leans forward to speak to the driver. "Could you just drop us off at a good Thai restaurant, please?"

"Mm. I want some tom yum soup," Luke says, still watching the house as they drive back down the lane. "And pad thai." The thought that it might be the last time they ever see the place depresses the hell out of him.

Alex watches Luke, looking back. And he lifts his lover's fingers to his lips. "I'll sic Marcy on them," he promises, then explains, "she's the agent who handled my rental a couple years ago, and has kept the owners from screwing me every year since. She'll get results."

"Okay." Luke nods then sighs. "I know I said we weren't prepared to go any higher but I don't know. Once you're already paying that much..."

"Yeah. It's all just kind of Monopoly money to me at that point," Alex admits, settling back into his seat. "My accountant would freak out to hear me say that, but, hey -- it's why he gets paid."

"So, you'd be willing to go full price if we have to?" Luke clarifies.

"Eighteen point six?" Alex asks, looking at his lover. "But you told him eighteen was our first and final offer. What if they don't respect us in the morning?"

Luke laughs and then ducks his head. "I know. We should just stick to our guns. It's so amazing though. I'm sure the place in La Jolla will be amazing too but it'll be like any other place, whereas this..." he sighs again.

 _Fuck_. Alex hopes their driver won't be reporting back to Thomas. Because if so, they're sure to soon figure out that they could up the price to an even twenty and Alex would struggle to meet it; there's just no way he won't move mountains to give his boy anything Luke wants. Grinning crookedly at the thought, he leans in and licks across his boy's lips.

"Mm." Now _that_ distracts Luke and he slides a hand into Alex's hair, kissing him more thoroughly.

Alex is pretty certain he can feel the driver's stare on them in the rearview mirror. And it actually makes him more brazen, like he's got something to prove. _Stupid_ , he scolds himself, even as he lets his hand trail up the inside of Luke's thigh.

Softly moaning into Alex's mouth, Luke shifts, trying to get that hand even higher.

Chuckling under his breath, Alex grins and pulls back. "Slut," he whispers, for Luke's ears only, and licks Luke's lips one last time before he retreats to sit demurely on his own side of the car.

"Meanie," Luke retorts with a laugh and a small pout before looking out the window while he gets himself under control. "You know, I saw a slapper with that cut into it when Ryan and I were shopping."

Alex snorts. "With 'meanie' cut into it? Really?" A beat later he rolls his eyes, "No, that's not what you meant. Got it." Now that he's actually caught up to Luke's thread of conversation, he considers the meaning behind it. "Did you like that idea? Was it one of those ones where the word is cut out in reverse, like a mirror image?" And how interesting that Luke is bringing up that shopping trip to Citadel. He said last weekend that's where the stunning harness and the plug came from, but Alex hadn't wanted to push; now he wonders just what else he should be expecting.

"Kind of. Does it actually work?" Luke asks, taking in the houses and the small shops starting to appear as they enter town.

"Yes and no," Alex answers with a shrug. "I mean, it's really easy to blur the word so it's unreadable. But if you hit just once, hard enough..." he trails off, his eyes sparkling wickedly.

Luke squirms at the thought. "You know, we _do_ have to get out of this car," he points out in mock complaint.

"You asked." Alex grins at his lover.

Luke laughs. "So I did," he says. "That'll teach me." His erection an uncomfortable ache in the confines of his jeans.

Alex watches him for a long silent moment, his smile lingering. And this time he actually checks to make sure their driver is paying them no attention before he leans in and murmurs, "Do you think you're not turning me on, too?"

"I don't know, but you seem to be handling it a lot better than me," Luke says softly, smiling at Alex. "And I know I'm at your mercy, so there's that too."

"You're hilarious," Alex says in that same low tone. Fuck, sometimes he feels downright helpless around his boy, powerless to resist against such strong temptations.

"Why's that?" Luke asks as they pull to a stop and the driver gets out to open the doors for them.

Shaking his head, Alex exits the car. The driver was detailed by the real estate agency, but Alex gives him a healthy cash tip anyway; he can hope it will buy them a little discretion. He lets his hand rest lightly on the small of Luke's back as they enter the restaurant - discretion, what's that? - but behaves and stops touching his boy when a hostess arrives to seat them. Flipping open his menu, he scans the offerings and chooses his entree, plus an appetizer, before he finally addresses Luke's question. "When's the last time you really wanted something from me and I actually said no?" he asks softly, setting the menu aside and pouring them each a cup of hot jasmine-scented tea, from the pot the hostess brought them.

"Never, but you could," Luke points out.

Never... that might be pushing things, Alex figures, thinking of the few major fights they've had. Twice, maybe. Which, okay, is still kind of like never. "And... you always give me what I want," he murmurs, then shakes his head. "What a pair we make."

"Does that bother you?" Luke asks.

"Hey, you're the masochist," Alex teases with a grin. Once more he shakes his head in denial. "No. I occasionally have rare flashes of brilliance, and this is one of them. That doesn't bother me a fuckin' bit."

Luke grins back, leaning in. "I am so in love with you it's crazy, you know that?"

"Is that, like, crazy-funny or crazy...? You know what, forget it," Alex replies, and laughs softly. Their waiter appears at the tableside, but it's a long moment before Alex can force himself to look away from his entrancing boy. "Um, yeah, uh. The rice with coconut milk, and then..." he trails off, and actually has to consult the menu before he can finish giving his order. When he's done, he sits back in his chair, waiting only for the man to take Luke's order and then leave before he reaches out and caresses his boy's right hand, fingertips brushing against his ring.

Luke smiles at the touch. It feels awesome to be out and actually _out_ with Alex. Not that they're crawling all over each other or anything, but simple things like this, that everyone else takes for granted. "It's a beautiful town," he says, nodding out the window. "I can really picture us coming up here on weekends and coming in for a meal or to do some shopping. Supposedly there's a ton of art galleries and furniture places."

"Yeah?" Alex glances out the window, like the town is going to give up its secrets that easily. "You want to walk around some after lunch? Our flight's not for a few hours yet." He checks his watch just to be sure. "It'd be cool to just wander for a bit."

Luke nods. "We can make a list of restaurants we want to try," he says with a smile, sitting back as the waiter brings their appetizers.

"Oh, definitely. Let's see. Pizza, Chinese, pizza, pizza, Indian," Alex ticks the choices on his fingers one by one. "What am I missing?"

Luke laughs. "French, Italian, Vietnamese," he says. "Oh, and vegan. Ryan says there's a great vegan place up here."

Alex can't quite muffle a snort of laughter. "Why does Ryan care about vegan food? Because if that's what he's looking for, then I think he's with the wrong guy."

"He told me he actually got Sam to eat tempeh bacon," Luke laughs, popping another piece of spring roll into his mouth.

"What the hell is that?" Alex asks. He leans in and takes a sip of his tea, but his focus right now is all on Luke's lips.

"Um. It's like vegetarian bacon," Luke says. "I think it's made out of soybeans and grains and then they flavour it and you use it just like bacon."

"Oh. Huh." Alex considers this, and reaches out to snag one of the spring rolls. "Do you think Ryan is stealthily phasing meat out of Sam's diet? It's a bold move."

"No way," Luke shakes his head, turning to his tom yum soup. "Do you want some of this?" he offers. "I don't think Ryan would dare. He knows Sam needs his meat to survive. He's just trying to vary his diet. And make sure he doesn't have a coronary at fifty."

Nudging his plate out of the way, Alex spoons up a taste of Luke's soup, then folds his arms on the plain white tablecloth so he can lean in a little closer. "Ryan takes good care of Sam."

Luke nods. "Sometimes I wish I could give you that kind of care," he says softly. "Get to be with you all the time."

Alex shrugs. "Sam and I are different. We need different things," he points out. "For example," he murmurs, reaching out to stroke his fingers lightly over the back of Luke's hand, "I need you. Not anyone else."

"Even when my work means I end up on the other side of the world from you?" Luke says, watching Alex closely. "Sometimes for months?"

"What -- are you suggesting that when you have to be away, someone like Ryan would be a good Luke substitute?" Alex is pretty sure he's missing something here. He hopes he is, anyway.

"No." Luke blows out a breath, brow furrowing. "I'm confused," he confesses. "What did you mean when you said you didn't need anyone else?"

"That's what I meant." Alex shrugs slightly. He thought his words were pretty self-explanatory. "Everyone's different, everyone needs different things. And me? I need you. Plain and simple."

Luke nods. "I wasn't sure. I thought." Crap. He bites at his lower lip. "I thought you might be talking about the whole monogamy thing."

Alex stares at his lover. He thought maybe he knew what Luke was asking, but now it seems he's confused about the entire issue. Are they discussing two totally different concepts? "The whole monogamy thing," he echoes slowly, softly, trying to parse each word. Then, "Oh." He looks at Luke intently. "You mean, what about when you're on the other side of the world for six months, am I going to fool around with someone else then?"

Luke looks out the window. He's pretty sure he knows the answer and he doesn't want to hear it. Not now, not today, not when they're having such an amazing time. "Can we just go back to the part where you said all you need is me?" he asks with a soft smile. "I just... got confused. It doesn't matter. It's not something we need to talk about right now."

But clearly it is something they need to talk about, eventually. _Shit_. Alex nods and downs the last of his tea. "If they take our offer and we get the house," he says quietly, entirely changing the subject, "what should we do about furnishing and decorating it? Do you want to do it ourselves, or would that be too overwhelming at this point, with your schedule?"

"I definitely want to do it ourselves," Luke says, swallowing over the lump in his throat. "We have the built-in seats by the windows so as long as we get a bed in there, I think we're good."

"What about the kitchen?" Alex asks, watching his boy. He feels so uneasy now, but he shoves it aside. "Maybe you can order stuff over the Internet and get it all delivered so it's waiting for you."

Luke nods. "I could do that. There are some _amazing_ places on-line," he says, sitting back while the waiter delivers their main dishes. "I wouldn't want to do that with furniture but I know exactly what I want for the kitchen." He smiles at Alex. "What about that third bedroom? Are we still going to do up our own playroom?"

"Definitely. We can both order stuff for that." Alex's grin winks. "But you're right about us needing to check out furniture in person before we order it. We need to go into the store and jump on everything first, make sure it can take our combined weight. Plus, you know, thrusting force." His eyes light up. "Hey, you know what I want? Some of those gigantic loungers like they had at that house you took me to for my birthday."

"Those were awesome." Luke grins back, grateful they seem to have moved past his stupidity. "What else?"

Alex raises an eyebrow, then picks up his chopsticks. "A big sturdy sling."

Luke blushes at that, remembering the first and last time they used one. "You should see the other plug I bought at the club," he says, barely resisting the urge to squirm. "I bet if I could take it, I could take your hand really easily."

"You bought another one?" Ah hell, that is fucking _awesome_ news, and Alex feels his cock stir in interest. "What's it look like?"

"Like a huge teardrop," Luke says, showing Alex with his hands.

"That big, huh?" And god, Alex feels like his gaze is burning now as he studies his boy. _Fuck_. "When are you going to wear it? Is it something you think you could get away with at work, or just for home? And maybe the club?"

"I think I might injure myself if I wore it to work," Luke says with a soft laugh. "But at home, and the club, maybe, once I'm actually able to use it." Blushing again as he adds, "I bought it as something to work up to."

"If you wear that and nothing else around the house, I guarantee you'll be working up to something big," Alex says, grinning and separating a few carrot slices from the rest of his stir-fry. It's amazing how lunch has become a completely secondary endeavor for him, barely holding his attention.

Luke laughs, delighted. "Um. Are you sure you want me naked?" he asks, poking at his pad thai with his fork. "Because I also bought these little leather shorts..."

Alex tries to stifle a groan. "You are such a goddamn tease," he whispers, his eyes flashing. And shit, they're clearly going to have to find somewhere private before they head back home, if Luke is going to keep saying things like that.

Luke grins, completely unrepentant. "Did I mention the shorts unzip? In the back. For easy access."

"Is that so?" Yeah, Alex isn't interested in his food at all anymore. "But they don't unzip in the front?" he asks. "Have you already decided that you won't be coming?"

"They unzip both places," Luke says with a laugh, blushing hard.

"No, no, no," Alex says with a shake of his head, a smile ghosting his lips. "They're going to stay zipped up. Want to know why?" He leans in across the table so that he can lower his voice and keep it strictly between the two of them. "Because I fucking love the idea of your cock all swollen hard and trapped, with nowhere to go in that tight leather. I'll finger you and fuck you, maybe even spank you, and the whole time I'll know that every time you whimper, those shorts are just getting even tighter."

Speaking of whimpering... Luke just stares at Alex, his jeans suddenly so tight it actually hurts. "I can put them on tonight - if you want," he murmurs, feeling that heat move from his cheeks down into his throat and chest.

Alex purses his lips thoughtfully, as if he's actually considering the idea. "We could do that," he agrees. "You didn't bring them with you, here?" He's pretty sure Luke didn't. After all, tiny leather shorts don't really mix with luxury house-hunting.

"No." Luke shakes his head. "I wasn't even planning on telling you about them yet."

"Did you have a plan for telling me?" Alex asks. Even as excited as he is now, he doesn't want to mess up anything Luke had figured on.

Luke smiles and shakes his head again. "No. I was just trying to space things out."

"This is good enough," Alex assures his lover. Although it certainly makes him wonder if there are wicked surprises yet to come. "Do you want dessert?"

"I'm pretty full. You?" Luke asks. It's a beautiful day outside and he'd rather spend the time they have left here exploring.

"Ready to go." Alex signals to a passing server and asks for their bill. In short order they're back outside on the sun-washed sidewalk, and he slips his sunglasses on. "Where to next? Want to just walk around a bit?"

Luke nods. "We can do some window shopping, check out the furniture stores," he says, smiling at Alex. God. There are times when just looking at his sir makes his heart stop still.

"Cool." Alex gives his lover a grin and they set out. This part of town looks to be overflowing with art galleries, and it's not long before something catches his eye. "Check that out," he muses, studying a large glass sculpture in shades of blue. "You can almost see the ocean in it."

"It's beautiful," Luke says with a sigh. "I wonder how much it is." He smiles at Alex again, leaning in against him. "Want to find out?"

"Sure." Alex's arm fits naturally around Luke's waist, and he gives his lover a quick hug before they step through the open shop door. They wait for a minute for someone to come out of the back room, and he spends the time looking around at the other sculptures and paintings which fill the small store.

"Hi, can I help you?" A youthful-looking woman with a long graying blonde ponytail emerges and gives them a smile.

"Yeah, hi. That sculpture, the blue one," Alex says, turning to point out the particular one. "How much is that selling for?"

"That one... My partner made that one. It's priced at $1385," she says.

Alex tries to keep his eyes from widening too much. That much? It's cool, yeah, but it's still just a big useless piece of glass. He glances at Luke to see what his lover thinks.

"Thanks," Luke tells her. "We'll talk about it." Waiting until she moves away before taking a closer look at the sculpture. "It's a lot of money but it _is_ beautiful," he says, smiling at Alex. "And we should have something special to put in our first home together. Not just furniture and cookware."

"I thought that, between the two of us, we _liked_ furniture and cookware," Alex mumbles, moving to inspect the piece more closely. Still... "You know where this would look good? If we get that house we just looked at, we could put it in front of the west-facing windows. I bet it looks amazing when direct sunlight hits it and shines through."

"It would look incredible there," Luke says, taking a moment to picture it exactly as Alex describes. "And we _do_ like furniture and cookware but I'm never going to look at a pan and think, 'wow, that's the first pan we bought together'."

"Well, how about, 'Hey, that's the first dining room table we ever fucked on'?" Alex asks, keeping his voice low.

Luke laughs. "Maybe, but it's still not the same," he says. "But we don't have to get this. I just mean we should find something like that - a piece of art we both love."

"All right." Alex combs his fingers gently through Luke's hair, savoring the feeling of the silky strands. "I can see your point. So... look around," he suggests. "Find something you love, and I'll look, too."

Luke looks through the gallery, glancing over at Alex every few seconds, just the sight of his lover making him smile. There's a glass table he loves but he's not sure how practical it would be and the price tag is a _lot_ more than the first piece they looked at. "These are really pretty," he calls to Alex, nodding at a group of sculptures in front of them.

Alex joins him and nods, taking in the various kilnformed glass pieces. "I love this jade one," he says, stopping just short of laying his finger on the graceful smooth curves of a sculpture. "The colors. And then those," he nods towards a nearby grouping, this one all sharp angles and violent jagged edges. "Great contrast."

"Do you like that table at all?" Luke asks, casually pointing out the piece that first caught his eye.

"Which one? The white one?" Alex glances back at Luke, then makes his way through the shop to study the table from up close. It looks like a single huge piece of glass, smooth but the surface unexpectedly curved, texture seeming to be hidden within. "What do you do with it?" he asks Luke softly. "If you try to eat on it, stuff might slide off onto the floor." He laughs softly. "Am I totally wrong in thinking you're supposed to _do_ anything with it?"

Luke laughs. "I think you _are_ supposed to eat on it," he says. "I guess you're just supposed to be careful."

Skeptical, Alex raises an eyebrow and circles the table. "I don't think it's sturdy enough."

"What do you mean?" Luke asks, frowning at the table. The glass looks thick enough to him.

Alex switches his steady gaze to Luke. "What are we, like, 163 kilos, combined? And then the speed of your average thrust..." He rolls his eyes to the ceiling, thinking. "Let's see, mass times acceleration... huh. According to Newton, this glass," he taps it lightly, "should be able to withstand something like 650 units of force. Per second." He looks at his lover again, but now he can barely keep a straight face.

Fuck. Luke blushes hard. "Okay, point taken," he says, blushing even _harder_ when he realizes the saleswoman is standing behind him and overheard the whole thing.

"We have some lovely reclaimed wood tables in back," she says. "They're able to withstand a tremendous amount of force, although I couldn't guarantee the units," she tells Alex with a small twinkle in her eye.

"Excellent." Alex is completely unperturbed by her presence, of course; hell, if Luke is blushing, that just makes the whole deal even better as far as he's concerned. "Can we see them?"

Luke follows them to the back, his cheeks burning. He's glad Alex doesn't seem to care but all he can picture is this woman tweeting about them or recounting the story on her fucking Facebook or something.

"On the one side we have reclaimed wood tables," she says, gesturing to the left. "And on the other, we have slab tables. Some of the reclaimed tables are also slab, but most are new wood, usually from trees that have already fallen."

"Hmm." Alex steps forward to stroke his fingers along a smooth varnished surface. "I like the ones where they let the shape follow the grain," he says to Luke, admiring a few of the tables which aren't quite rectangular, but rather are left with funky jagged-looking edges -- edges which prove to have been well-sanded.

"I like [this one](http://saltsorganic.com/saltsblog/?p=428)," Luke says with a smile. "I like how they put the stones in the hole in it. It makes it more like an art piece as well as something usable."

"They're not attached, are they?" Alex asks, and picks up a few of the smooth gray river rocks to check. "That's really cool. Because then if you wanted to put something different in there, you could. Like, for a different mood." Dear god, is he actually standing here discussing _accessorizing furniture_? WTF, life?

"How much is this one?" Luke asks the saleswoman, having gotten over his embarrassment.

"That table is..." she checks a price list in a nearby binder, "is $4200."

Alex nods. "Can we sit on the chairs?" he asks, pointing at a chair which has a back and seat made out of more free-form reclaimed wood. "To see if they're comfortable at all?" Alex takes food very very seriously, and he wants to be comfortable when he eats.

"Of course," she says with a smile. "The price doesn't include the chairs though. They're another $320 each."

Which, with eight chairs, means at least another $2500. Holy shit. Luke watches Alex closely as his lover takes a seat. "What do you think?"

"It's actually more comfortable than I thought it would be," Alex says, squirming around to make sure the hard wood seat feels okay from every angle. The price actually doesn't faze him much; he can see spending money on something that's _useful_. "You know what's cool about this?" he says, taking Luke's hand and pulling him down to sit next to him. "There are hardly any straight lines in the design of the house. It would be so cool to have furniture that's not quite straight either."

Luke nods, smiling at Alex and giving his lover's hand a squeeze. It's true. The chairs are actually really comfortable. "That would be awesome. It's also really warm looking. You know how we said we didn't want everything to be all blah and beige. With the ocean outside and wood inside, it's all very earthy."

"Yeah. And none of that frou-frou stuff." Alex smooths a hand again over the grain, and ducks his head to check out the iron support framework. It certainly looks sturdy. "What do you think?" he asks his lover. "Should we ask them to hold it for us until we've got an address they can ship it to?"

Luke just nods, almost vibrating with excitement.

"Can you do that?" Alex asks, since the saleswoman has been standing within eavesdropping distance this whole time. "Or is there some kind of limit to how long we can keep it reserved? Do you need a deposit?"

"For a thirty-percent deposit, we can hold the table and chairs for you for up to six months," she says. "Any longer than that and we would need the full amount to be paid which would buy you a year."

"Is that deposit refundable in the event that we can't have it delivered?" Alex asks the woman, but he's already pulling his wallet out of his back pocket and selecting a credit card.

"Less a ten percent administration fee," she answers.

"I'm sure we'll have a place within a year," Luke says, just barely stopping himself from offering to handle part of the deposit.

Alex smiles at that, turning his head to look adoringly at his boy. He reaches out and clasps Luke's hand, then brushes his lips over his lover's fingers. It's amazing how comfortable he feels with this now, showing physical affection in public. But god, it feels good. "Yeah, that's no problem," he says after a moment, and forces his gaze to the saleswoman. "Visa okay?"

"Perfect. I'll grab the machine and our receipt book," she says, leaving them alone as she heads back to the front of the store.

Luke smiles at Alex, now just barely resisting the urge to crawl into his sir's lap. "I am so happy right now," he says. "It feels so good to be doing all of this - making plans for our future together."

"Yeah, it does." It feels solid, and like some kind of guarantee; Alex knows it's not. But still, knowing they're going to be forcibly separated by their careers again - and again and again - it's good to know they're trying to build some kind of permanent homebase where they can always come back to each other. It almost loosens the tight knot of pain in Alex's chest, the knot that he's been carrying for what feels like forever. He kisses Luke's hand again, then gets to his feet when the saleswoman returns, handing her his credit card.

They're back on the pavement in fifteen minutes, and Alex glances at his watch. "Somewhere," he mutters, looking around. "There's got to be somewhere we can go..."

"Not without risking getting caught, if you mean what I think you mean," Luke says softly, watching Alex and wondering when the hell he became the voice of reason, because damn.

Alex snorts a laugh. "What else would I mean?" he asks, although he very maturely slips his hands into his pockets. "Maybe one of these clothing stores has a dressing room..." He grins at his lover, thinking of when Luke blew him in the Wellington Diesel store.

"Okay, but kiss me out here first," Luke says, tilting his head back. It's off-season, there's almost no one around, and no one's thrown a fit at seeing them - or rather, Alex - yet anyway.

"Seriously?" Alex is surprised by the request, but it doesn't strike paranoia through him, even though maybe it should. Continuing to keep his hands to himself he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to Luke's mouth.

Luke beams. "Okay, _now_ you can put me on my knees wherever you want."

"Beach, car, art gallery?" Alex asks, teasing. Unfortunately he doesn't think he's actually going to manage it. Even if they weren't celebrities they'd get themselves in a shitload of trouble messing around in public. "What about that private jet you're going to buy me? Maybe we should arrange to see one of those, now, since we're done looking at the house."

Luke laughs. "I think we'll have to make appointments to see those too, and once we buy the house, I won't have enough money to buy you a jet. Not for a while anyway."

"I'm hurt. I expected to be a boytoy kept in style." Alex sniffs. "I was going to quit working, and buy all new underwear..."

Luke giggles. Fuck. Actually giggles. "If you were _my_ boytoy, I wouldn't let you wear any underwear," he informs his sir solemnly.

"Is that so?" Alex raises an eyebrow at his lover. "And would I need to stay prepped all the time, so I'd be ready for your insatiable lust?"

"Definitely," Luke nods, eyes sparkling.

"You're very demanding," Alex murmurs, trying - and, for the most part, failing - to keep a straight face as they talk. "Maybe you'll want to just keep me naked and chained up in the kitchen while you're at it."

"Oh, now there's a thought," Luke says. "I could taste test everything on you."

 _Oh, god_. Alex attempts to stifle a groan. "That custom playroom we put together'd better be really friggin' awesome," he says in an undertone. "Because I think the nearest Citadel branch might be in Sacramento." Or he would have already rung them up and ordered a private car to be sent over, just so he could get Luke naked in the backseat.

"It'll be incredible," Luke promises. "I wonder if there's any way of making it so that we can still see out onto the water but no one can see in. I read that one-way glass reverses at night and I really don't want to pull the shades every time we want to use our playroom."

"We'll figure something out." Alex glances at his watch again, then takes Luke's hand in his. "We should probably head for the airport now. And I can spend the flight back plotting what I'm going to do to you when we get home."

Luke grins, giving Alex's hand a squeeze. "I'd suggest joining the Mile High Club but I don't think we'll both fit."

"Mm-hmm." Alex turns and runs his gaze skeptically over his lover from head to toe, and then back. "You should be grateful the flight's a short one." God knows Alex is.

"I am, but you know, there's always the men's washroom at the airport," Luke teases, knowing he's going to regret it - _not_ \- later.  



End file.
